Organising poor and marginalised women

Tiruvallur district comprises 14 blocks with a combined population of 27,54,756, 24% of them from oppressed dalit community. CRUSADE's project area comprises Minjur and Sholavaram blocks of Ponneri taluk, which is a reserved assembly constituency for Scheduled Caste.
CRUSADE forms women SHGs predominantly among dalit population who are socially discriminated and economically very poor. These families live in thatch houses or in Government group houses of poor quality. Most of them have no land but depend on agriculture labour for their income. They have low literacy levels and health status. Of the 550 groups with total membership of 9,000, 60% of the members belong to this community. Groups are formed among below poverty line families after assessing their poverty status with a set of indicators on housing, occupation and assets of the families.

 

CRUSADE has been forming and sustaining Self Help Groups of poor and marginalized women for the past 17 years. All the groups have built substantial savings and common fund for the credit needs of its members. Bank linkages helped groups mobilize additional funds and government grants under different schemes.The groups have been federated at Panchayat level and the project level. , Structures in place of these Community Based Organisations ensure managing, sustaining and developing the groups and members in social and economic spheres.

Case Study:    Lakshmi Group

 

 

Women’s Day,2008

As usual the Association organized Women’s day on 8th March 2008. Around 2500 women members took part in this half a day event. Cultural team from Tirunelveli performed villupattu (traditional folk art) on women’s issues. Association members also presented a kit on National Rural Employment Guarantee Program. On this occasion families of three SHG members were given Rs 30,000 each as death claim from LIC.